Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…a fun way to sample new books and find new authors! (Also welcome to the Sunday Snippet visitors!)

May be edited a bit from published version.

I’m Taking excerpts from my new release KYDEN: BADARI GLADIATORS SERIES BOOK ONE.

The excerpt: As promised, I’ve jumped ahead to the first arena scene, which is the next day. Kyden had to volunteer to fight in order to save Elara and her sister the night before.

Today Kyden was to fight with his own natural weaponry, the fangs and talons his creators had given him. He expected to walk through the bout. Midweek fights were cheap seats only, far below being a full audience, mostly practice for the less experienced men rather than serious contests, although the points won or lost did go onto each gladiator’s account and his standing in the system-wide ranking.

Kyden could recline in the middle of the damn arena and take a nap and his points total would barely move because he had such an unthinkable number of wins. There hadn’t been time for his owner to advertise the fact he was fighting either, much to the master’s chagrin.

He walked into the arena at the end of the line of gladiators and briefly scanned the crowd. Or should he say the few people scattered in the cheap seats? They were the lucky ones today, getting to see the Death Dealer in action unexpectedly. When he did fight in prime time, the prices were exorbitant and the scalpers made huge profits.

The trumpets blared and the ceremony began. Kyden pivoted smartly with the others and saluted the empty Emperor’s box. To his knowledge, the ruler of the Five Systems had never graced their stadium with his presence. He didn’t even live in the solar systems he ruled, preferring to dwell in hedonistic style in the Outlier Empire, being related to the ruling house there in some complicated genealogy. But the ritual must be carried out and Kyden uttered his oath to the empty throne with all the others standing in a line beside him, mouthing the same words about fighting for the glory of the throne and the Five Systems and pledging to die bravely. The trumpets blared again and he made a quarter turn as required, to repeat a lesser oath to the equally empty Senatorial seats.

Only to blink and do a double take at the sight of Lady Elara Vasclavian, dressed in the formal robes of her House, occupying the family’s box along with a number of retainers and others.

VS Note: Lady Elara isn’t a fan of gladiatorial contests and hasn’t attended them previously…

KYDEN: BADARI GLADIATORS SERIES BOOK ONE by Veronica Scott

Kyden is the top ranked gladiator in the Five Systems but he’s hardly there by choice. Unscrupulous guards faked his death in the lab where he was created and sold him into slavery in the galaxy’s hinterlands. He has no idea where his home is or how many years have passed since he was condemned to a life of endless combat. Kill or be killed is the rule and a Badari never gives up. He’ll fight to stay alive until the Badari goddess sees fit to decree his death.

Elara Vasclavian is the daughter of a senator, as far removed from the life of a gladiator as a noblewoman can be until through the machinations of a political enemy, she ends up in terrible jeopardy. Abducted and given to a group of drunken gladiators for their amusement the night before the games, Elara vows to put up a fight but there’s no real hope of saving herself. Until Kyden steps in, responding to the goddess’s commandment to protect those who are smaller and weaker. And discovers she’s his fated mate.

Rescued, Elara returns to her life of privilege but she can’t forget the man who saved her life. The gulf between their places in the Five Systems is unbridgeable, no matter how much Kyden longs for even a glimpse of her in the arena audience. No matter how much she feels the pull to be by his side. As matters stand, they cannot be together…Or can they?

KYDEN is the first book in a new series, spun off from my ongoing Badari Warriors series. Kyden is a Generation Five Badari whereas the main characters in the long running series are from a later time and are Generation Eight. This new series stands alone and you don’t have to have read any of the other books to enjoy this one. I couldn’t resist the temptation to tell a few other Badari stories, set in the galaxy’s Hinterlands, and who can resist gladiators?

Amazon     Apple Books      Kobo      Nook      GooglePlay

My recent Tiktok video with images relating to the novel:  https://www.tiktok.com/@veronicascottauthor/video/7051540172722294022